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As with most true native breeds, the origins of the
Welsh Black are somewhat clouded. There is evidence that the
breed, or its forerunners, existed in Roman times and it has
been suggested that the breed is based on cattle from the
Iberian Peninsula.
Certainly black cattle have been bred in Wales for well over
1,000 years and, as in Scotland and many other parts of Britain,
were often used as currency. This gave rise to the description
of the Welsh Black as "the black gold from the Welsh
hills".
It was these cattle and their drovers that played key roles
in the development of the modern infrastructure of Wales including
services such as roads and banking.
Up until the early 1970s the Welsh Black was regarded as
a dual purpose breed for both dairy and beef production. There
were two distinct strains of the breed; the stocky North Wales
beef type and the more dairy like South Wales or Castlemartin
animal. The Welsh Black breed of the 21st century combines
the best of both combining beef ability with ease of calving
and the milking ability to rear strong growing calves.
The publication of the first Welsh Black herd book in 1883
indicates that the first Welsh Black Cattle Society was formed
a year earlier although there are no minutes until 1904.
The situation is further blurred in that there were separate
Societies for North and South Wales until the modern Society
was launched at a meeting in the Boars Head Hotel in Carmarthen
in August 1904.
Until the early 1990s the Society was based at Caernarfon,
later moving its main office to the Society’s building
on the Royal Welsh Showground at Builth Wells while retaining
Caernarfon as the centre for Society’s membership and
registration work.
The net result is a modern Welsh Black breed offering cattle
that meet the needs of modern farming with medium sized suckler
dams that are easy to manage and capable of rearing strong
pure or cross-bred calves that will suit both traditional
and intensive beef finishing systems.
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Welsh
Black Cow
Deep, long, with greater depth through hind quarters than
through forequarters. Straight top line. Free and easy walk.
Moderate in length, wide forehead, good depth through jaw;
eyes large, placid and prominent; ears fairly large, thickly
covered with soft hairs; horns fine and well spread. So long
as the horns start straight from the head, a good deal of
latitude is allowed as to their direction, but on the whole
a moderately level horn, turning upwards at the tips, is preferable.
Fine and well set; throat as clean as possible.
Free from coarseness, fitting nicely into the body, and not
prominent at the points.
Big roomy middle, well sprung ribs, deep, strong over loins
with well-fitting tail-head that is not prominent.
Thighs broad but not too thick, reaching down to the hocks,
hocks well apart. Hind legs straight from hocks to pastern.
Feet sound.
Moderate to large but not fleshy; carried well forward and
reaching well up between the thighs and not pendulous; quarters
not divided; teats of moderate size and placed well apart.
Skin thin and pliable.
Skin: Moderately thick; pliable.
Hair: Thick soft and fairly long. Tightly curled hair is objectionable.
Colour: Black. The intensity of the colour varies from rusty
black to jet black. Some white is allowed on the underline.
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